St Wilfrid's CofE Junior and Infant School

St Wilfrid's CE Junior and Infant School Inspection report

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Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 14–15 June 2012 Inspection number 395396 Unique Reference Number 105496 Local authority Manchester Inspection number 395396 Inspection dates 14–15 June 2012 Lead inspector Kathleen McArthur

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Primary School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 241 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Darren Newton Headteacher Sophie Murfin Date of previous school inspection 29 January 2008 School address Mabel Street Newton Heath Manchester M40 1GB Telephone number 0161 6811385 Fax number 0161 6811318 Email address admin@st-wilfrids.manchester.sch.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child's school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

Kathleen McArthur Helen Gaunt Additional Inspector Additional Inspector

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days notice. The team observed 17 lessons taught by eight teachers, visited several small group sessions and met with groups of pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and staff. Inspectors observed the school's work, and looked at pupils’ books, monitoring records, improvement plans, school and national data and procedures for the care and protection of pupils (safeguarding). They analysed responses in the 79 questionnaires received from parents and carers and those completed by pupils and staff.

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Information about the school

The school is an average size primary school. Almost all pupils are of White British heritage and the proportion known to be eligible for free school meals is well above average. The proportion of pupils supported at School Action Plus or with a statement of educational needs is below average. The school does not meet the current floor standards which set the government’s minimum expectations for attainment and progress.

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Information about the school

There has been considerable staffing turbulence at senior level since the previous inspection. The headteacher has been in post for a year.

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Information about the school

The school holds several awards, including International Schools, the Basic Skills Quality Mark, Eco-Schools and has Healthy School status. Breakfast and after-school clubs are provided each day. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key Findings

 This is a satisfactory school. It is not good because pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching and learning are only satisfactory. Pupils enjoy school and attendance is above average. Schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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Key Findings

 The school has strengths in pupils’ good behaviour and safety and the strong relationships with parents and carers, whose responses in their questionnaires were overwhelmingly positive. All agreed that their children are kept safe and are well looked after.

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Key Findings

 Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory and they attain at the broadly expected level. This indicates a rapid improvement over this academic year. Children progress well in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Pupils’ progress is satisfactory overall, but stronger in Key Stage 1 than in Key Stage 2. Pupils’ attainment is at the expected level in reading and mathematics, but their writing skills are lower, particularly for boys. A below average proportion of pupils reach the higher levels.

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Key Findings

 Teaching is satisfactory. Pupils are usually enthusiastic learners, ‘Lessons are fun but we learn at the same time’ was a typical comment. They progress well when teaching is good. However, the slow pace in some lessons and the inconsistent use of assessment information to match work to pupils’ different abilities, especially to challenge more-able pupils, results in satisfactory rather than good progress overall.

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Key Findings

 Pupils say they like school, typically behave well and feel safe because, ‘We’re never alone, the teachers are always there’. Consistent behaviour management results in a harmonious environment, both in class and outside. Pupils have good attitudes to learning. They know their views are listened to, are caring, cooperate well and are unfailingly polite and friendly.

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Key Findings

 After the recent turbulence at senior leadership level, the school failed to meet the floor standards in 2011. The newly formed leadership team responded swiftly, implementing rigorous performance management strategies to raise the quality of teaching and to target effective support for pupils. School data and monitoring records show that these actions have raised overall attainment, accelerated progress and increased the proportion of good teaching.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further raise overall attainment and accelerate pupils’ progress in Key Stages 1 and 2 by:  ensuring that more-able pupils are always fully challenged and reach higher levels  consistently applying assessment strategies to match work even more closely to pupils’ different abilities, particularly for the more able.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attainment in writing, particularly for boys, by:  enabling pupils to use a richer, wider vocabulary in their work  improving pupils’ knowledge of spelling and use of punctuation  implementing a consistent handwriting style throughout the school.   Raise the overall quality of teaching to good or better by:  increasing the pace of learning in all lessons to ensure that pupils make good or better progress  providing pupils with more opportunities in lessons to explain their thinking.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils tackle their tasks with enthusiasm, behave well and cooperate happily with staff and their ‘talk partners’. A typical comment illustrates pupils’ enjoyment of learning, ‘Lots of studying has made me feel confident that I can do really well’. In the returned questionnaires, parents and carers say that progress is good. However, inspection evidence confirmed the school’s view that although progress is good in the Early Years Foundation Stage, it is satisfactory overall, although accelerating, in Key Stages 1 and 2. Children’s skills on entry to the Early Years Foundation Stage are well below those expected for their age, especially in the areas of language and communication. Children settle happily to their tasks, like the well organised letters and sounds sessions and enjoy working outside. By the end of the Reception Year, in most areas of learning, children’s skills are close to those expected,

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Achievement of pupils

but lower than expected in language development. After a dip in overall attainment in 2011, pupils’ attainment has returned to the broadly expected level, as a result of rigorous action, including effective staff development. School data show that pupils currently in Year 6 are securely on course to meet challenging targets and that the gap in performance between boys and girls in writing is narrowing. However, more-able pupils do not consistently reach the higher levels of which they are capable.

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Achievement of pupils

Disabled pupils, those who have special educational needs and those who may be vulnerable because of their circumstances, all receive support sensitively directed to their needs. Consequently, they make progress in line with that of their classmates.

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Achievement of pupils

Well-organised, systematic strategies for teaching letters and sounds, together with a wide range of literature and new materials have successfully boosted enjoyment and raised attainment in reading. Typical comments were, ‘I love this book’, and, ‘Mum makes me read at home’, and their reading skills support pupils’ work across the curriculum. School data show pupils’ broadly expected attainment in reading at the end of Year 2. In Year 6, attainment in reading is also broadly as expected, but rising securely and more pupils have reached the higher Level 5. However, pupils’ writing skills are weaker. Some pupils, particularly boys, use a limited vocabulary, spell and punctuate inaccurately and have immature handwriting. This means that pupils’ overall attainment in writing, although improving, is less strong than in reading and mathematics.

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Quality of teaching

Although parents and carers feel that teaching is good, inspection findings support the school’s view that it is only satisfactory. Some teaching is good, but there is not enough to ensure that pupils’ progress is consistently good throughout the school. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, good teaching ensures that children progress well. For example, singing number songs and rhymes ensures that they rapidly learn numbers and how to count. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well in lessons, so pupils behave well, enjoy the different activities and relationships with staff and their classmates are supportive.

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Quality of teaching

Most lessons feature a variety of well chosen resources. Staff use open questions that stimulate pupils to think hard, but pupils do not always have opportunities to explain their answers in order to extend their knowledge and vocabulary. Teaching assistants are carefully deployed to small groups, or to pupils with disabilities or those with special educational needs. Where teaching is strong, progress is good. For example, Year 5 pupils demonstrated resilience when challenged to add and subtract with negative numbers. Teaching is less effective when teachers talk for too long, slowing the pace of learning and leaving little time for pupils to put new skills into practice. Assessment systems provide a clear picture of progress and pupils know their individual targets. Progress is regularly reviewed, but assessment information is not used consistently in planning work for pupils’ differing abilities, especially to challenge the more-able. Work is regularly marked and pupils

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Quality of teaching

say this is helpful because, ‘Marking tells us what is right, what is wrong and how to put it right’.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Inspectors agree with parents and carers that the school is safe and caring environment where behaviour is typically good. Pupils who attend breakfast and after-school clubs enjoy a wide range of activities that aid their learning. Plenty of outdoor activities ensure that playtimes and lunchtimes are spent happily. A few pupils think behaviour could be better, but they trust staff and say problems are always dealt with. Clear, consistently implemented procedures for behaviour management ensure that lessons are rarely disrupted. Bullying is not seen as an issue and the curriculum ensures that pupils know how to look after their own safety. For example, the Anti-Bullying week teaches them to be aware that bullying may occur in different ways, such as via the internet or through texting.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

The school council ensure that pupils’ views are listened to and acted upon; pupils were consulted about whether the school uniform should be retained and their decision to keep it was implemented. Pupils whose circumstances make them potentially vulnerable are cared for and well supported. Above average attendance reflects pupils’ enjoyment of all that the school provides. Successful efforts to liaise closely with and to support families ensure that pupils attend regularly and on time.

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Leadership and management

Following the period of disruption, leaders, managers and staff are ambitious and firmly committed and share the vision for ongoing improvement. The Early Years Foundation Stage is led and managed well, ensuring that provision and welfare arrangements are good. The supportive governing body provides effective challenge to the new leadership team to raise standards. Staff morale is high. Tightly focused improvement plans are based on accurate self-evaluation. Rigorous performance management and professional development has increased teachers’ confidence to review and extend their skills and classroom practice; partnerships with local schools have been valuable here. However, many strategies and procedures are relatively new and have yet to fully boost attainment and progress. Monitoring records show that the increasing proportion of teaching is good and any remaining gaps in performance are rapidly narrowing. The school has a secure capacity for

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Leadership and management

The high priority given to equal opportunities ensures that there is no discrimination. Skilled support ensures that all pupils participate in everything the school offers. Close liaison with external agencies helps minimise any barriers to learning faced by those whose circumstances make them potentially vulnerable. Parents and carers positively confirm that the school has worked successfully to involve, inform and support them.

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Leadership and management

The broad and balanced curriculum is satisfactory, with an increasingly appropriate emphasis on basic skills so that pupils are adequately prepared for their next stage of education. Some imaginative links between subjects enable pupils to use their skills across the curriculum, for example calculating ration allowances during the Second World War. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about trips linked to their topics. The wide variety of clubs is popular and the majority of pupils attend one or more. Safeguarding arrangements give no cause for concern and meet all current requirements. The site is secure, staff and governor training is up-to-date and the school website and newsletters provide safeguarding information for parents and carers.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils' needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 54 42 2 2 Primary schools 14 49 32 6 Secondary schools 20 39 34 7 Special schools 33 45 20 3 Pupil referral units 9 55 28 8 All schools 16 47 31 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The data in the table above are for the period 1 September to 31 December 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ).

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils' work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attendance: the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school's efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour: how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils' punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Floor standards: the national minimum expectation of attainment and progression measures

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school's overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils' attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety: how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils' freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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to share with their children. It describes Ofsted's main

findings from the inspection of their school.

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1GB

The inspectors would like to thank you for welcoming us to your school. We enjoyed meeting you and sharing your Celebration assembly and were pleased to see so many of you receiving awards. I hope Year 3 and Year 5 have dried out after it rained so hard during the fun run! You told us that you feel safe and enjoy school, especially all the clubs and visits. Your parents and carers are very pleased with the school.

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1GB

We found that your school is providing you with a satisfactory education. The adults who run the school make sure that you are safe and cared for well. Children get off to a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage. You make satisfactory progress overall and reach the right standards for your age, although more of you could do even better, especially boys in their writing and those of you who find learning easier than most. Your behaviour is good and you work well with your ‘talk partners’. Teaching is satisfactory and sometimes good.

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1GB

We have asked the school leaders to raise your attainment and help you make faster progress in Key Stages 1 and 2 by:

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1GB

 always matching work to your needs and challenging those of you who learn quickly  helping some of you, especially the boys, to use more interesting words, to spell and punctuate more accurately and to develop better handwriting  making sure that all teaching is good and lessons move along at a good pace.  I know you will want to do your best to help the staff because you trust them to help you, so look out for more challenges!

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1GB

Kathleen McArthur Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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